Potato-hilling plow.



R. B. D! WALKER! POTATO HILLING PLOW.

APPLICATION HLED NOV. 26. 1913.

1,2%,3?& Patented May 8, 1917.

RUDOLPH BGSSERT DOCET'II WALKER, OF BLENHEIM, NEVV'ZEALAND.

IOTATO-HILLING PLOW.

Application filed November 26, 1913.

To (all [if/Loni it may concern:

Be it known that T, RUnoLPrr Bossnn'r Doon'i'ri WALKER, subject of theKing of Great Britain residing at Blenheim, New Zealand. have invented anew and useful Improved Attachment to Potato-Hilling Flows; and Tdohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same.

This invention has been designed with the object of providingattachments to potato hilling plows by the use of which the sides of thehills or ridges are packed in a solid even manner. The packing of thesesurfaces will. insure of the ridges retaining their forms and will inaddition provide for rain falling upon them running olf into the hollowsbetween so as to be diverted from the tubers and in dry areas for themoisture being retained in the ridges. The formation of the ridges withthe hard surfaces, will in addition, prevent any disease fungi lodgingupon the tops and collected or engendered by the halms being washedthrough the ground into the tubers but will insureof such being washeddown in to the hollows. The employment of the invention therefore topack the surfaces will serve to lessen the liability of the potatoes tobe attacked by blight and other diseases caused by excessive dampness inthe ridges.

The invention consists in the combination with the hilling moldboards ofthe plow, of rollers, arranged one behind each moldboard. and adapted torotate over the surfaces hilled by such moldboards so as to smooth themand press the earth down tightly. Each roller is so mounted that it maybe adjusted in the angle of its axis in both the vertical and horizontalplanes thereby providing for the faces of the hills being inclined atany desired degree, and for the rolling action being performeduniformly.

The rollers are made of the required length to extend across the sidesof the hill or ridge and may be made of suitable material. They may bemounted by journaling each one upon spindle extending longitudinallythrough the center of the roller and at its ends carried in a forkbearing having a stem that is fitted into a bracket upon the plow frame.The stem is adapted to rotate in the bracket so that the horizontalangle of the roller may be altered, and to slide up and down therein sothat the height of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 1917.

Serial No. 803,303.

roller from the ground may be adjusted. The bracket is made capable ofturning up or down so that the vertical angle assumed by the roller maybe regulated. The roller bearings are also so attached to the respectivemoldboards as to move with the adjustment of the moldboards and therebyadjust the spread of the rollers to correspond with that of themoldboards.

If desired, the rollers may be replaced by fiat sledge shaped plateshaving upwardly curved forward ends to allow of them sliding freely overthe ridge surfaces. These plates also will be made capable of adjustmentas to the angles assumech in the same manner as the rollers areadjustable.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a side elevation of a share and moldboard with its rollerattached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the same showing the two rollers arranged to packthe sides of the hollow through which the moldboard passes.

Fig. 3 is a detail iew of the roller and its carrying arm.

F ig. is an elevation of the arm for the attachment of the roller to themoldboard.

Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively plan and back end elevation of the sledgethat may be substituted for the roller.

A are the two moldboards which are made to extend rearward from a commonshare point in any of the well known ways. B are the rollers one ofwhich is arranged at the rear of each moldboard in such a position as torun over the surface of the ridge turned over by such moldboard. This iseffected by mounting each roller upon a spindle C car ried by the armsof a fork bracket D. The bracket is provided with a central stem E whichpasses through a boss F upon an arm G in such a manner as to beadjustable there in and to be secured at any desired point by means of aset screw f. This arm G is formed with a disk plate G on its other endwhich is laid and fastened. against a similar disk plate H of a secondarm H that is bolted either to the inside of the moldboard, as shown bythe full lines in Figs. 1 and 2, or to the beam J of the plow as shownby the dotted lines in Fig. 1. A bolt disposed at y passes through thetwo disks G and H and fastens them together.

The arms G and H are so shaped and bent as to provide for the roller Bbeing carried in the desired position at the back of the moldboard. Thearm G may be turned to varying angles to position the roller atdifferent inclines, by loosening the bolt disposed at g, and thenfastened in its new position by tightening such bolt again. If desiredthe adjacent surfaces of the disks may be serrated, as shown in Figs. 3and 4, to provide an effective grip between the two surfaces. I

The adjustability of the bracket stem E in the boss F provides for theroller being moved in or out with respect to the surface of its ridge sothat its distance from the ridge and the consequent degree of itspressure thereon may be regulated.

The sledge shown in Figs. 5 and 6 for use in substitution for the rollerconsists of the fiat plate K having an upwardly curved forward edge andattached to the fork bracket D so that it may slide over the surface ofthe ridge and pack it down.

lVhat I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. The combination with a plow having a mold board, of an arm fixedto said mold board and extending rearwardly therefrom, a second armextending rearwardly from said first mentioned arm, a connection betweensaid arms having means whereby said second mentioned arm may beangularly adjusted with respect to said first mentioned arm, a socket atthe end of said second arm, a stem slidably mounted in said socket, andextending substantially at right angles to said second mentioned arm,means for hold ing said stem in adjusted position in said socket and acylindrical roller mounted at the end of said stem.

2. The combination with a plow having a mold board, of an arm fixed tosaid mold board and extending rearwardly therefrom in a curve, a secondarm extending rearwardly from said first-mentioned arm, a connectionbetween said arms having means whereby said second-mentioned arm may beangularly adjusted with respect to said firstmentioned arm, a socket atthe end of said second arm, a stem slidably mounted in said socket, andextending substantially at right v angles to said second-mentioned arm,means for holding said stem in adjusted position in said socket and acylindrical roller mounted at the end of said stem.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this Copies of this patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, I). G.

